The Trickster and the Healer
by Moonspun Dragon
Summary: Loki gets a special visitor. One- shot. No slash. Post- Avengers.


A/N: Hi, all! I had written this story months ago, but never got it typed up because I was dissatisfied with it, but due to a recent bout of insomnia, I decided 'What the hey?' and edited and typed it up. This was originally written with the 10th Doctor in mind, though I mostly modified it to fit the 11th Doctor and I present it as a sort of tribute to Matt Smith [I'm gonna miss you a lot! :( ]. This might explain some of the stiltedness, for lack of a better word, in some of the dialogue. I apologize for that and any and all OOCness. Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_The Trickster and the Healer_

"I thought I told you to stay out of trouble."

Loki didn't turn. He kept his back to the gold tinged force- field that barricaded the cells in Asgard's dungeons. The only sign that he knew his visitor had received that he had even acknowledged his presence was the initial involuntary tensing of his shoulders and back. As well as the slight raising of his head. However, the visitor didn't see the sudden blaze in Loki's bright blue- green eyes. Loki turned his head slightly, just enough so he could see his visitor over his shoulder without either turning his entire body or twisting his head fully as his visitor continued.

"Then again, I suppose that was a bit unfair seeing as you had always been a trouble magnet. Couldn't go anywhere without you getting into some trouble or other just by stepping out the door."

Loki only half- listened to the stranger as he studied him out of the corner of his eye. His visitor was human in appearance, but it was obvious that he wasn't human, nor was he from any realm that Loki was familiar with. He, also, got the feeling that he should know this not- human, even though he had never seen the man before.

"Still, you did always manage to talk- slash- bargain- slash- cheat your way out of whatever mess you always got us into to begin with."

The man had longish brown hair and dark eyes, wore a long- sleeved shirt, a bowtie, a tweed jacket, and brown pants. For some odd reason, Loki felt that something was wrong about this walking contradiction. He realized after a few moments, that the visitor was standing still. Loki had a feeling that he should be fidgeting, or just be _moving_.

_Why do I know this?_ Loki thought.

"What? Nothing to say?" Then there was a sound that sounded like flesh slapping flesh. "Ow!" There was something muttered about not doing it again. "I forgot that you weren't much of a talker. And that was mostly your brother's job," Loki clenched his fist, at the mention of his former brother, but remained silent. "Yakking, I mean. Though, I thought even you wouldn't stop talking in your own defense, Silvertongue."

With the use of his nickname spoken with such familiarity, Loki turned around and glared at the not- human, who was still rubbing a spot in the middle of his forehead. There was something so familiar about him…. It clicked when he glimpsed a very familiar blue box behind the stranger and mostly hidden from his view.

His glare intensified. _So, you have finally come._

"Then again, you didn't really defend yourself on Cupid, either, and your brother and I-"

"He is not my brother," Loki said angrily, but quietly. When he saw the shocked confusion in his once- hero's eyes, he continued, "Have you not been told?" His tone changed into pleasant mocking, "I confess I'm a bit surprised. I would have thought Thor or even the Allfather himself would have been practically frothing at the mouth to tell you." Sarcasm started to drip from his words. "How awful it must be for you finding out like this."

"Loki, what happened?"

_You left me! You betrayed me, Healer! _"Why assume something has happened?"

"Just something I picked up. Especially given the fact that you just gave world domination a try. World domination on a peaceful planet that's under my protection."

_Of course you would come only for the humans you love so much. _Loki covered his unexpected flare of hurt with a cruel smirk. "How is it you have heard about that, but not about me?"

The Healer took a few steps closer. "Loki, your fam-"

"THEY ARE NOT MY FAMILY!" Loki yelled. His scream was accompanied by a blast of magic , which flung everything around him into the white walls and the other barrier.

The Healer merely raised an eyebrow and appeared unimpressed. "If that was your temper tantrum, it's not much. I have seen so much worse."

Loki merely clenched his teeth, keeping himself from spitting a nasty retort. He tilted his head defiantly. "Why are you here, Healer? Do you not know I am a dangerous criminal and allowed no visitors," Here, his tone, once more, became biting sarcasm, "Especially people as important as yourself."

The Healer merely stepped closer to Loki's cell. "You know, the last time I saw you, you were playing pranks and being a regular teenager," his expression softened into something wistful as if the Time Lord was remembering, "I remember on multiple occasions, you saw the small details that mattered and used them to prevent wars. You were amazingly brilliant." His expression became more hardened. It was then that Loki noticed how much anger the Healer was holding back as he asked again, "What happened?"

Loki grinned cruelly. "Oh, the days of the innocent. Tut, tut, Healer, we can't all live in the past," he started pacing back and forth in front of the force field, never taking his eyes off the Healer. "You ask 'What happened,' the simple truth is that I have been enlightened about many things, Healer." His chuckle was devoid of any humor. "How ironic! I am the one who can get anyone to believe anything, then laugh at how easy it was to do so! Now, I am the one being laughed at. They laugh because I have believed their lies not for a day, or a mere week. No. For millennia! For my entire life!"

The Doctor watched the fallen prince pace angrily. He was still fighting the sense of shock and maybe a little horror that the young teen he once knew had been replaced with a grown embittered, rage- filled, man. There was no sign of the innocent curiosity and wonderment that he had practically been glowing with. Loki's current self was reminding him too much of another he had once called friend. He was determined not to lose this one, too.

"What was the lie?" the Doctor asked.

Loki's pace slowed and he gave his visitor a smirk. "I remember that planet… Greenworld, I think it was called. A planet that was made completely of ice and so cold that it makes Jotunheim feel like Muspelheim in comparison. Remember, Healer?" He resumed his pacing at a deceptively calm pace. "Remember when you warned me to wear something heavier than my summer Asgardian garb and I didn't listen?" He stopped pacing, but came to stand right before the force- field and clasped his hands behind his back. "Remember how the cold did not affect me? Since then, have you ever wondered why the cold never seemed to have an effect on me?"

The Doctor blinked when Loki's appearance started to change. His hair and clothes remained the same, though his skin and eyes changed. His skin was blue with markings on it and the whites of his eyes a deep red. He took a step back as everything snapped into place.

There was a low sound which brought his attention back into focus. It took him a moment to realize that the sound was Loki laughing. It held no humor. "You recognize what I truly am. The horror and anger is the same with every species. Ah, ah, ah, Healer, don't deny what is so clearly visible in your eyes and on your face," Loki spat as he returned to his Asgardian form. "Even you hate the monster." He looked down to his still shifting hand.

_There is no hope for me, then. If even the Healer hates this… _Monster. This thought hurt so much more than he expected. Loki raised his head and, once more, locked his gaze with the Healer's. He grinned madly to hide his pain. He felt annoyance when his vision blurred as something obscured it. He impatiently wiped his hand across his eye, keeping eye contact with his visitor.

The Healer remained silent for a few more seconds, then said, "Loki, if I'm horrified, it's because of your actions on Earth, not because of your true race. Besides I have seen a lot of worse- looking beings than you. And probably half of them could be qualified as monsters. The reason that you are not a monster is the same reason that I'm not going to make your punishment worse."

"And what is that reason, _Healer_?" Loki spat.

"True monsters don't cry," was the simple response.

Loki blinked rapidly and finally looked down at the moisture on his hand. He clenched his fist as the sound of the TARDIS leaving filled the dungeon.

End

A/N: I'm still not 100% happy/ satisfied with this, so... yeah... *sheepish* I hope you enjoyed! :D


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